I use my iPhone for everything: checking emails, scheduling brunch and sharing photos. We live in a digital world where our entire lives are at the touch of our fingertips. Our devices help us literally tap into our inner fashionistas (Stylebook), tourists (Yelp) and personal accountants (yes, think: Wells Fargo Mobile). One of the most exciting things about Financial Literacy Month is how we can manage finances through digital tools and apps.

According to the President’s Advisory Council on Financial Capability, technology innovations are highlighted as one of many successes in financial education. This shouldn’t come as a surprise. Within the past five years alone, technology has made it faster and more convenient to access real-time, actionable financial information from our individual bank accounts.

Technology provides access to our bank accounts almost instantly. You are able to stay on top of your balances (avoiding any late fees, etc.) because you can know – via phone, tablet, computer or ATM – how much cash is in the bank. Technology is aiding the shift of how we approach and manage our finances.

About two in five U.S. adults (39%) say they have a budget and keep close track of their spending, according to a recent survey conducted by the National Foundation for Credit Counseling. I wouldn’t be surprised if this statistic doubles within the next ten years. Mobile banking is shifting our consumer habits in convenient ways. For instance, nearly half (48%) of smartphone owners also use mobile banking, according to a 2014 consumer trends survey from Fiserv, a CooperKatz client. Financial services apps are integrating mobile banking into our everyday routines.

Keep in mind that financial service apps aren’t solely about checking accounts. Peer-to-peer payments apps enable money to be sent with just a tap on your phone. Technology is helping provide consumers with instant access to finances, and by doing so, increasing financial literacy.

In late June, eBay partnered with The Huffington Post to post an article titled “What To Wear At These 6 Unconventional Weddings.” You may have stumbled upon this article from a keyword search or browsing the HuffPo Style section. But I’m sure if you saw it, you didn’t expect to be reading an ad.

The campaign, which ran from June 28-30, produced a click through rate for the eBay products cited in the article of 7.5%, which is quite high. This instance of paid journalism seemed to pair nicely with the accompanying banner ads to drive traffic to eBay.com. Banner ads are clearly familiar as a digital advertising medium. But what about the impact of the sponsored article itself? And why did this combination seem to work?

In the formerly bifurcated world of advertising versus PR, we are familiar with “paid” vs. “earned” media. Many are saying native advertising, such as the eBay sponsored article mentioned above, is causing a collision between the two. Some are even calling it abattle of industries. However, I stand by those who see native advertising as a tool in the toolboxes of both advertising and PR– just as eBay paired its native advertising with banner ads.

Earned media placements often include experts quoted, studies / statistics cited or news announced. PR provides the information, assets, insights and spokespeople for editorial media to include in its stories; whereas advertising buys the quarter-page space next to the story.

Native advertising, by definition, falls into the category of a “paid” medium. It is an evolution of the standard advertisement (though not dissimilar in approach and format to what has been known for years as “advertorials”). Native advertising can replace a static advertisement (for instance, an Express ad depicting girls out in the city) with something more meaningful, like this article about dressing up an interview outfit. Both approaches have a motive to connect you, the consumer, with the brand or company that commissioned the work.

Netflix also incorporated native advertising into a traditional marketing program. In addition to taking over billboards in Union Square and running a food truck, Netflix commissioned the New York Times to do an investigative report on the state of women’s prisons – written by a legitimate journalist who fully engaged in an intriguing and important topic. This piece was backed by hours of exploratory research, impressive data points and quotes collected from prisoners firsthand. It was an authentic piece of editorial content, but sparked by a paying customer.

And let’s look at what newer online channels like Buzzfeed are doing. BuzzFeed has been avant-garde in the market today by producing easily shared content. The news they are creating is both “traditional” and “branded” in nature. BuzzFeed not only pushes out its traditional editorial content, but it also drives branded content to it users. Allstate Insurance, for example, opted to create a native advertising BuzzFeed list of things every committed couple needs to do, instead of leveraging a pop-up ad featuring Dennis Haysbert’s latest monologue. CK client Coldwell Banker shared a list of fairy tale dreams homes that would make any one live happily ever after. Instead of glazing over a tired list in the classifieds, Coldwell Banker’s amusing article made me click my heels three times and wish I was swimming in #17.

All of this raises a question: does having a journalistic piece backed by a brand make this tactic wrong or deceiving?

The industry doesn’t seem to think so. Native advertising is expected to grow 40 percent in the next year. Furthermore, a study of millennials conducted by Concentric Marketing found that 32 percent of millennials want ads to be more entertaining. And that’s what many native ads are attempting to do – create content that is both entertaining and informative.

As a millennial myself, I agree we are not as sensitive to ad placements as the generations before us. Marketers, public relations professionals, advertisers, companies and brands are trying to be entertaining, informative and valuable to you. These communications methods are attempting to connect you with the brand. If executed in the right way – and also as transparently as possible regarding the fact that the content is paid – this approach can be as successful as the classic “earned media” placement.

It’s an exciting time for us as PR professionals to be part of this evolving industry landscape and changing forms of communication and media. Ultimately the companies that will most effectively communicate with the consumer – either through advertising or PR – will be the ones that best connect with the consumer.

What I admire most about CooperKatz is that as an agency, we all believe it’s important to reach out to the community. Several times a year, we engage with small non-profit organizations to offer pro bono PR services and expertise.

At the beginning of this year, CooperKatz paired up with Figure Skating in Harlem (FSH) for the fifth time to support its annual Skating with the Stars event. Our team enjoys collaborating with the FSH communications team to garner local media coverage of the fundraiser and staff the event, which includes helping to manage the red carpet. Year after year, our agency has supported this fellow Manhattan organization because we see its positive influence.

More recently, CooperKatz worked with the Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF), a national nonprofit law organization that fights to protect the lives and advance the interests of animals through the legal system. CooperKatz and the ALDF were paired together through Four Feet Forward, a nonprofit that matches skilled professionals who want to make a difference on behalf of animals with small organizations who could not otherwise afford their services.

ALDF reached out to CooperKatz for an opportunity to promote its Animal Law Institute(ALI), a unique program that hires and trains junior attorneys and law students as litigation fellows and law clerks to work pro bono for animal-related causes. A team from CooperKatz met with the ALDF representatives to discuss PR engagement goals, outreach strategy and highlights of the ALI story.

Throughout the two-month engagement, our team learned about the amazing impact this organization has on animal welfare and the program it offers young lawyers. Our team crafted media materials and sourced appropriate media contacts for the ALDF team. And we outlined PR strategies to help them hit the ground running.

Participating in these opportunities encourages me to take a step back. It is significant that as a for-profit agency, we take the time to give back through pro bono projects. I enjoyed leveraging my skills as a young PR professional and I am excited to see what awareness and influence FSH, ALDF and ALI continue to garner as a result of our help.

Incoming MBA students are likely experiencing a case of back to school-itis right about now. The symptoms are undeniable — sweaty palms, that twinge in your stomach, and a brain in overdrive. Will I pass my classes? Will my group members do their share? Will I find a job? To get past the butterflies, you just have to do a little prep work. Here’s what you can do to make sure you get the most out of business school from the very start:

Get a head start on your studies

1. Face reality

Many people believe that getting into a top business school is the hard part. But the programs are rigorous, and they can be a shock to those who haven’t been in school for nearly a decade. Ken Johnson, an author in Milton, Fla., who graduated from Saint Leo University’s MBA program in 2010, says he still remembers having to calculate how many bags of mixed fertilizer a farmer had to use while accounting for maximizing plant needs and affording minimal cost. He spent about 12 hours studying for each class and took eight to 12 pages of notes per class per week. “You will have no life and minimal sleep,” says Johnson. “Imagine your toughest semester in college and multiply it by a factor of six for the next two years.” In other words, the hard part is only just beginning.

2. Rest up

In light of the fact that the next two years are going to be filled with endless hours of work, sweat, and maybe even some tears, you should find time to take it easy. “Think about the bigger picture and what you want to do,” says Arar Han, co-CEO of Alert1 in Williamsport, Penn. and a 2009 graduate of Stanford Graduate School of Business. “Recommit yourself to those goals.” You can give thought to this while lounging at the beach on a Sunday afternoon or over dinner with friends. Let yourself relax, at least a little.

3. Take a refresher course

Okay, you wouldn’t be an MBA student if you were all play and no work. In between those respites, you should reacquaint yourself with the material you’ll be confronting at business school. The academic rigor is fierce, and most MBA programs are quant heavy. Many b-schools offer refresher courses during orientation, and you should take advantage of them. At Virginia Tech, for example, students can take MBA Math, a series of online courses with practice exercises that include net present value equations and accounting balance sheets. These help set the foundation for the rest of your studies, says Laura Vinci, who works in PR in New York and is a 2013 Virginia Tech MBA graduate.

4. Study the syllabi

By now, you should know what your schedule is going to look like. So, try to get a head start on assignments, suggests James Kindley, MBA program director at the College of Charleston’s one-year global immersion aimed at non-traditional business students. “Get books and cases as early as possible and get familiar with them,” he adds. “Be sure of basic computer skills — Excel, Word, PowerPoint.” If you’ll be traveling abroad for any courses, says Kindley, then learn about the country, its government, economy, and key businesses.

5. Learn the lingo

MBAs, like all professionals, have their own language, and now is the time for you to learn it. For starters, familiarize yourself with organizational issues, says Mark A. Clark, associate professor and faculty director of the full-time MBA program at American University’s Kogod School of Business. “To me this means acquainting yourself with the world, your experience, what’s reported in the business press (for example, Wall Street Journal and Financial Times), academic journal articles, organizational histories,” he adds. Then, think about the greater context of what you’re learning and how it might apply to your current and future work.

Focus on your career

1. Find yourself

Self-assessment is the first step in determining exactly what you want to do after graduation. There are online tests that can give you a sense of your strengths, weaknesses, and where you might fit in best. Most business schools require students do this ahead of the program. You can supplement this self-assessment with research on jobs that might interest you. “All entering students should go to the university library or their local library and do a basic search on topics of interest,” says Tim Swenson, provost and dean of the Graduate School at Sullivan University. “The search abilities have expanded over the past few years and their ability to search topics is critical to their success.”

2. Consider specialties

As you decide what role you want to pursue post-graduation, you should figure out what you want to specialize in — finance, marketing, accounting, etc. You might also consider earning certificates in related areas. “Employers view certification in a very favorable light,” adds Swenson. “They serve as indicators that potential employees have the knowledge and skill sets promoted in the position descriptions and on the applicant’s resume.”

3. Start networking

Try to meet your classmates, either virtually or in person. They will be your teammates at school, and many of them might have worked in the industry you’re now pursuing. They could be your future business partner, not to mention best friend. You can check groups on social media, forums, or the school’s directory to find them. There, you’ll also find MBA alumni from your school, who can talk to you about your career options. Consider setting up informational meetings that will allow you to learn what a day in the life of someone doing the job you covet is really like.

In the end, it’s up to you to maximize your business school experience. “You are the president and CEO of You, Inc.,” says Jill Klein, assistant dean of Digital Initiatives and New Programs at Kogod. “Engage in the classroom and within the school to find your passion and your place.” Then, you won’t have to worry so much. Things — even business school and your career — have a funny way of working themselves out when you do your homework.

CooperKatz is an agency that fosters collaboration. As a generalist firm, it is important to share experiences from different backgrounds and provide individual perspectives to advance our company as a whole. You never know what might help another team member expand their skills.

Recently, the junior staff members hosted a Knowledge Sharing Session to swap war stories and share helpful tricks we’ve learned so far in our careers.

Over lunch, we discussed the ins and outs of our everyday activities, including PR services, sharing Google Chrome extensions and Excel shortcuts. As a team, we troubleshot common problems and suggested various solutions. Each person was able to share insights and take away something new that they did not know before.

The Knowledge Sharing Session is just one part of a larger professional development team at CooperKatz. This team specifically carves out time each week to share the latest industry news and to find conferences for further career development and enrichment.

Social media isn’t a one-size-fits-all marketing solution. Many companies believe that in order to participate online and be legitimized by the public, they need to have a presence on every social media channel available.

While it is important to have an established social media presence, not every channel is a fit for every company. With that being said, a company or brand must maximize its investment in each channel it has launched. While there are many examples of brands that have established and maintained a great Facebook presence, there are still too many organizations that set up the shell of a page, add a low-resolution logo as the profile picture and post once a month about a promotion or random fact. Relevant, lively content or insights are absent. Customer comments on the Facebook wall go unanswered for weeks. And engagement is non-existent.

It’s this type of social media disengagement that can harm a brand’s reputation. And this is one of the most common mistakes companies make when trying to quickly incorporate social media into their marketing strategies. Social media isn’t an add-on activity. It’s a separate discipline and an extension of the marketing mix, like PR or media buying – and must receive as much attention and strategic planning as any other area.

Social media disengagement comes into play when a company skips a very critical moment of self-assessment. Taking this step allows communicators to evaluate not only if social media (and which specific channels) are appropriate, but also if they have the bandwidth to support the investment. Otherwise, communicators may recognize the importance of social media in the evolving communications landscape, and hastily jump on the bandwagon – but neglect to invest time into developing and managing each channel.

So how can companies ensure they are appropriately engaged? I recommend first stepping back and assessing what level of social media engagement is the right strategy for your brand or organization. This is where a strong communications partner can make a huge impact on your brand’s success. Communications consultants are able to help analyze your industry’s landscape – including channels and investments among your competitors – and provide an unbiased look at what is and isn’t reaching an intended audience. Armed with these findings, together you can pair specific social media goals with the overall goals of your brand or organization.

There are several questions to answer as part of this process. Where are your target audiences actively engaging online? Are you willing to investment time and assets into maintaining a presence? What type of information will you share with your followers? And which social channel(s) will be most effective in reaching them? This brand assessment will allow you to see how beneficial, or not, specific aspects of social media strategy will be as an addition to your overall marketing plan.

Let’s take a look at how consumers are using social media sites. According to The Poynter Institute, more than a third (36%) of people on Twitter use the social medium to follow news organizations or journalists. This is a perfect channel for a magazine or newspaper to tweet the latest stories. Or, use The Huffington Post’s statistic about Pinterest users: 29.5% of the most popular pins are about food and drinks. This would be an ideal channel for an aspiring chef to post and pin recipes – yet not as ideal for a dish soap company. In the same vein, according to Mediabistro, 79% of LinkedIn users are age 35 or older. So this would not be an appropriate channel to market the next boy band, but would be a great channel for the boy band’s publicist to market himself.

One brand that is on-point with its social media efforts is Starbucks. The coffee king recently had a White Cup Contest, which encouraged submissions of drawings and designs on the iconic white cups. Entrants were instructed to submit their masterpieces via social media to Twitter or Instagram. By including the hashtag #WhiteCupContest, entrants gave Starbucks the rights to post their submitted artwork on the official Starbucks Pinterest board. Photos were shared on Starbucks’ official Facebook page as well. By realizing how to effectively reach potential and current customers, Starbucks was able to strategically leverage interaction with fans across multiple social media platforms. The company received almost 4,000 entries – and probably hundreds of new followers across their social pages – in just three weeks.

CK Insights is a series on our blog featuring CK team members’ perspectives on timely topics.

Today is the last day of National Employee Wellness Month. To conclude our month ofcelebrating CK’s commitment to fostering wellness throughout the company, we asked team members: What do you do to stay well at work? Here’s what they said:

Marcus Hardy – Account Executive:

There are three core things I do on a near daily basis:

Hydrate: I drink a ton of water throughout the day; dehydration is a huge detriment to effective work and interpersonal skills. And the hydration encourages my second point…

Take a walk: whether it’s around the block, around the office or just up to the Thought Bubble and back, getting up is very important. Because sitting kills.

Take a mid-day brain break: Mid-afternoon burn out is the worst. To combat it, I try to use a part of my lunch to call home and see how my family is doing, read a few chapters from a book, or find a quiet place to meditate and relax for up to 20 minutes. These non-work-focused recharges always make for better afternoons!

Anne Green – President & CEO:

Eating in a healthy and intentional way is a big part of my life. I’m vegetarian, so that’s always a factor in planning for catered client meetings, business travel or dinners out. But even more critical is being smart about what I eat here at the office, day in and day out. When I hit the grocery store, it’s for both home and the office – so I’m thinking ahead about healthy meals and snacks to have on hand. And I also try to avoid the many sweet temptations that constantly appear in our kitchen area!

Heather Caufield – Account Supervisor:

Two words: The Stick. Anyone who runs or has had to go to physical therapy should be familiar with this magical product that helps you roll out tight / sore muscles. I keep mine at home but luckily Maria Martinez, one of CK’s Managers of Client Services, keeps hers in the office. I make sure I use it at least a few times a day, which also gets me up and out of my seat more often!

Lesley Neadel – Manager, Client Services:

I try to stretch at my desk a couple of times throughout the day. Nothing excessive, but I will do things like clasp my hands above my head and reach up and back, and roll my ankles and feet in circles. These movements help my muscles and joints wake up after being in much of the same position all day and feel so good – especially now, since I’m six months pregnant!

Laura Vinci – Account Coordinator:

The way in which I stay well at work is using my lunchtime to stretch my legs outside – either by taking a quick walk around the block or hopping over to a 45-minute yoga class. CK is located in a great neighborhood with many retails shops nearby, so it’s easy for me to run errands, such as picking-up lunch or mailing a letter at the post office, during my lunch hour. I always come back to the office relaxed, re-energized and ready to face my busy afternoon schedule!

It’s no secret that Alfonso Cuarón and the technical team behind the movie ‘Gravity’ swept the 2014 Oscars, taking home a whopping seven gold statues. But, in the end, who was the biggest winner of the Oscars – Ellen DeGeneres, Twitter or the selfie?

Ellen, a repeat host of the star-studded awards show, wowed the audience both in the Dolby Theatre seats and those of us forced to watch it at home. She was charismatic, witty and real – characteristics that kept viewers tuned into the 3 ½ hour show. She broke a record for the most retweets (while shutting down the social media site), she ordered pizza and she looked amazing in her tribute Glinda costume.

Twitter and the most retweeted selfie ever went hand-in-hand at the Oscars. Ellen’s goal was to out-tweet President Obama’s post-re-election “Four more years.” An accomplishment that happened in less than one hour after her picture went live, and is continuing 2,840,324 retweets strong.

Arguably from a PR perspective, I’d have to say the big winner of the night has to be Big Mama’s & Papa’s Pizzeria. The mom-and-pop pizza joint gallantly saved the night for the “hungry” celebrities in attendance. Most of the big players cashed out $1.8 million for a 30-second commercial. However, the impromptu endorsements of celebs Brad Pitt, Kerry Washington and Jared Leto – just to name a few – chowing down on the slices made the Big Mama’s & Papa’s Pizzeria a hot topic on Twitter and in the media – and reportedly saved them $10 million in free publicity! Plus, a delivery man’s dream came true. You couldn’t make this up.

I’m not the only one who thought the Big Mama’s & Papa’s Pizzeria came out on top. The pizzeria was buzzed about by AdWeek, USA Today and the Examiner. Too bad they don’t deliver to NYC.

Once she turned 26 years old, Rebecca Rubenstein, a freelance writer and editor in San Francisco, was too old to remain on her parents’ health-insurance plan. And since her freelance status makes her ineligible for coverage through her employers, she was left to weigh the options for health insurance on her own.

“Freelancing means paying for your own health insurance,” says Ms. Rubenstein, who earns between $1,200 and $1,700 a month. “I take a lot of pride in being able to pay my own rent and pay my own way.” Ms. Rubenstein says she lives with two roommates and pays about $660 in monthly rent, and she has occasionally supplemented her income with temporary jobs, such as bakery work.

But applying for her own health insurance turned out to be more difficult than Ms. Rubenstein had imagined.

Before the Affordable Care Act, commonly known as Obamacare, took effect Jan. 1, Ms. Rubenstein says she was rejected twice from a large insurer due to pre-existing conditions—like lactose intolerance and asthma. (Under Obamacare, insurers cannot discriminate on the basis of pre-existing conditions.) She is currently in the process of enrolling through California’s state exchange.

For young adults aging out of their parents’ plans, navigating the shifting health-insurance landscape for the first time can be tricky. Here’s what you need to know to get coverage and avoid paying a penalty under the new rules:

You’re not invincible.

Experts agree: You need health insurance, plain and simple.

“There’s a temptation to go without health insurance” for healthy young adults, says Doug Whiteman, insurance analyst at Bankrate.com. But in doing so, “you could be derailing your financial future,” he says, if, for example, you are in an accident and wind up with sizable medical bills in addition to student-loan payments.

Plus, under the Affordable Care Act’s new rules, if you’re not enrolled in an approved health plan by March 31, most people will be liable for a penalty of at least $95 or 1% of your annual household income, whichever is higher (and increasing each year), according to HealthCare.gov.

Look to your employer or school.

If you are a current full-time employee or student, you are likely eligible for a plan through your employer or school, respectively, Mr. Whiteman says.

Even if you’re not yet 26, you might opt for such a plan over your parents’ if it offers better coverage, he says.

Although she could have remained on her parents’ plan as a dependent, Laura Vinci, 24, enrolled in student health insurance through Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech), where she earned her master’s in business administration.

If you are a freelancer, there might be a local freelancers union offering an affordable plan. If you’re a temporary employee, check to see whether your temp agency offers coverage.

Depending on your income and family size, you might qualify for free or low-cost coverage through Medicaid. Some states, including Illinois and Connecticut, are expanding Medicaid to cover more people. Search “Medicaid” on the Healthcare.gov site to see if you qualify.

If you don’t qualify for Medicaid, but your income still falls below a certain threshold ($45,960 for a single-person household), you may qualify for subsidized premiums and/or out-of-pocket costs for private insurance, according to Healthcare.gov. (If you’re eligible for insurance through your employer, you can still switch to a marketplace plan, but you typically won’t qualify for subsidies based on your income, the site says.)

If you earn more, you can still purchase health insurance through the marketplace at the regular price, according to the site.

Know how the marketplace works.

The online marketplace groups plans into five categories: bronze, silver, gold, platinum and catastrophic. The grouping doesn’t reflect the quality or amount of care provided, the site says.

Bronze and silver plans typically have lower premiums and higher out-of-pocket costs, and are a good fit for people who don’t require a lot of regular medical care. Gold and platinum plans typically have higher premiums, but lower out-of-pocket costs, making them a good option for those requiring a lot of doctor visits or regular prescriptions.

Catastrophic plans are geared toward people under 30 and people of limited income, and are meant to provide protection for worst-case scenarios, according to the site. They tend to have low premiums and high deductibles—or the amount you owe for services before your plan kicks in. Such plans typically cover three primary-care visits a year and free preventative services—such as immunization vaccines, sexually transmitted infection screenings and diet counseling—both at no cost, the site says. And catastrophic plans are only available at standard—not subsidized—rates.

Seek professional assistance.

If you’re not sure where to turn, there is help available. The site localhelp.healthcare.gov can direct you to impartial in-person assisters, such as navigators, near you.

Help is also available over the phone at 1-800-318-2596 or via webchat at HealthCare.gov.